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AREA ATTRACTIONS

Lifestyle is the biggest factor drawing over 8 million visitors annually to Southwest Florida, especially the Fort Myers Beach area, which offers the following major attractions and year-round activities:

Beaches - Approximately 50 miles of white sand beaches

Shelling - Sanibel Island is considered the shelling capitol of the world

Parks and Nature Areas - With nearly 50 parks and preserves in Lee County alone, Southwest Florida is full of opportunities for wildlife viewing, bird watching, biking trails and botanical gardens

Arts & Entertainment - Festivals and permanent entertainment venues such as the Barbara B. Mann performing Arts Hall and Germain Arena attract world-class entertainers throughout the year

Watersports - The area provides year-round opportunities for recreational boaters with over 40,000 registered boat owners in Lee County

Canoeing & Kayaking - Designated water trails and access points, including the Calusa Blueway, have helped popularize a wide variety of coastal watersports

Professional Baseball - Fort Myers is the Spring Training home to two MLB teams - the Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox. Thousands of fans flock to Lee County during Spring Training

Fishing - The area is famous for its saltwater fishing including such targeted species as Tarpon, Redfish and Snook inshore and Grouper, Snapper and Kingfish offshore

Golfing - Private and public courses throughout the area provide opportunities for championship-level play. One of the hottest golf meccas in the country, the area ranks high nationally in the number of golf holes per capita

Key West Express - This luxury cruise ship, docked on San Carlos Island only a short walk from Marina Preserve, sails to Key West year round. Riders can return the same day or stay several days in pedestrian friendly Key West.

In addition to the subtropical climate and gorgeous white sand beaches of Fort Myers Beach, just a short walk , car ride or boat cruise away, Southwest Florida offers a very active lifestyle, drawing visitors from around the globe. The area is also considered one of the best retirement destinations in the world, which is one of the main factors for its rapid population growth in recent years. 

The area is increasingly attracting more working age people with families as well and has a healthy high-wage job market, thanks to Florida's pro-business environment and the proactive approach of the Lee County Economic Development Office to diversify the region's economy.

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